If Thomas Jefferson played soccer: winger, rated 76

Thomas Jefferson as a soccer player: scouting report

Thomas Jefferson would play on the wing, but as a creator more than a sprinter. He drafted the Declaration of Independence at thirty three, and a player who can write the founding document of a country is going to see the right pass before anyone else. His passing is the strongest part of his card. Picture an inverted winger who drifts in from the touchline, finds a pocket between the lines and threads a ball through for the striker.

He was a man of many talents, which suits a wide player who needs more than one trick. He designed his own home at Monticello, founded the University of Virginia, played the violin and even invented a wheel cipher for encoding messages. That inventive streak shows in his dribbling, which is right behind his passing. He beats defenders with feints and changes of direction rather than raw speed. His books, sold to Congress in 1815, helped rebuild the Library of Congress, so he is also the most well read player on the pitch. His shooting is modest, so he is more likely to create a goal than score one, and his defending is serviceable when he tracks back.

Physical strength is the soft spot. He will struggle against a big, aggressive fullback, so keep the ball on the ground and give him a teammate to combine with. Central midfield is his next best spot, which suits that vision and passing, and goalkeeper is a distant fallback. For a drafter, he is a creative wide option in the later middle rounds. Pair him with a quick, powerful striker and an overlapping fullback, and let him design the attack.

Plays like An inventive inside forward who drifts in to create

Put Thomas Jefferson in your lineup

11 rolls, a starting eleven, 38 matches. Can you go 38-0? Free, no account.